Riptide
(SWAT) vs (Thieves) |date = |place = Florida Keys, Florida, United States |terrain = Island |modes = |combat = |singleplayer = |map =}} Riptide is a map featured in Battlefield Hardline. The map is set in and around a group of luxury homes in the Florida Keys.https://twitter.com/dirtydeathdog/status/557980524296548356 Overview Riptide is set within a stretch of Florida coastline, on a remote archipelago separating two distant urban areas to the east and west. The play area is comprised of a chain of three large, lush islands connected by country lanes, with bridges across the waterways running between them. A ring of narrow islands form the perimeter to the shallow bay surrounding the main atoll, in addition to a number of even smaller enclaves dot the oceanic area. The main islands retain a number of large, extravagant buildings belonging to a former drug kingpin who privately owned the archipelago, while the smaller strips of sand are littered with more rustic stilt homes. Although the weather is initially good, the overcast grey sky and choppy waters provide forewarning to a tropical storm approaching the region. Conquest Conquest on Riptide is focused on combined arms due to the abundance of vehicles and the wide expanses of the map. Foot travel been points is not as dangerous as other maps due to the island's heavy foliage, but the extensive road network and the shallow waters of the bay edge allow both light and heavy ground vehicles a variety of routes when dashing between objectives. Most of the capture points are for building interiors, however, requiring players to seize them as infantry. In addition to the multitude of ground vehicles, helicopters of various types of available, opening up a new air-land battle dynamic. Naval combat is also possible on Riptide--uniquely, this is the only vanilla map that features Go-Fast Boats, allowing teams to take to the water and approach objectives from the shoreline. Flag Layout Equipment |light = 1 Squad Car 1 Police Interceptor 2 Police Motorcycles |apc = 1 Mobile Command Post |ifv = 1 Intervention SUV |tank = 1 Armored Rescue Vehicle |boat = 1 Inshore Patrol Vessel (Conquest Large) |helicopter = 1 Transport Helicopter (Conquest Large) 1 Patrol Helicopter (Conquest) }} |light = 1 Sports Sedan 1 Muscle Car 2 Street Bikes |apc = 1 Syndicate Crew Cab |ifv = 1 Armored SUV |tank = 1 Hardened Attack Truck |boat = 1 Smuggler's Boat (Conquest Large) |helicopter = 1 Executive Helicopter (Conquest Large) 1 Rogue Chopper (Conquest) }} Deployments SWAT Deployment In Conquest, the SWAT team deploy from the marina on the eastern end of the coast road, north of the Conquest Large objective of Dock. In Conquest Large, their spawn point is relocated further to the north-east, down a country road lined with thick shrubbery. Thieves' Deployment In Conquest, the Thieves begin in the area around the Airport on the west side of the map. Similarly to the police, their Conquest Large deployment is pushed back down the service road running parallel to the airfield runway, south-west of its original position. Flags Stilt House Stilt House is located on the map's north-east side, and is found at the mouth of the northern ring of narrow islands. The objective itself is found within a rickety wood and sheet metal shack raised above the sandy shore of the bay. The capture zone is limited to the lower and upper decks of the structure, and cannot be captured from underneath the foundations. A staircase on the east side and a ladder on the west side allow access to the second storey, comprised of a run-down living quarters and a surrounding wooden balcony. Although the walls of the structure are resistant to gunfire and explosives, some of the boarded up windows can be forcibly reopened, creating interior overwatch positions over the surrounding bay. In Conquest, a Go-fast Boat spawns in the shallows north-west of the Stilt House when captured. In Conquest Large, a Dirt Bike replaces it, spawning on the dirt pathway just outside the south side of the structure. A Zipline can be picked up from a tiny shack southeast of the flag itself, while an FIM-92 Stinger is located within another shack on a separate, smaller enclave out to the west. Dock The Dock objective is found in the map's south-east corner of the map, adjacent to the southern ring of outer islets. The area is represented as a luxury resort area--a pool, bordered on two sides by three blocks of accommodations, and a jetty lined with yachts on the waterfront to the south. The diminutive capture radius is at the end of the Dock, and is centred around a tin shack used as a refuelling station. The point is hazardous to capture due to its lack of cover--the shack's outer walls can be blasted apart by explosives, and the interior is home to stacks of metal crates and inflammable fuel canisters, which are both generally unsuitable cover. As the capture zone extends partially to the waters off from the jetty, players may find themselves compelled to seize the point while swimming or from the deck of a Patrol boat. A team specific Go-fast Boat spawns in one of the empty jetty moorings when captured. A Zipline gun can be found by the staircases of one of the housing blocks north-west of the waterfront. Cartel Mansion The Cartel Mansion is the central point of the map, and is situated by the roadway of the largest island. The property consists of a spacious, modern-style three storey main building with a white masonry and glass exterior, with a stately back garden littered with smaller detached structures and complete with a pool. Indoors, the lavishly decorated main hall is overlooked by a second floor skybridge, accessible by staircases on the south side of the hall, the lounge down the western corridor, and outside the garage on the south-east side of the house. The upper floor connects to the balconies on the south side, a helipad on the east side, and an oval conservatory-style office up more stairways on the third floor. The capture zone is limited to this main hall, and so the elevated positions of the skybridge and office can provide a distinct advantage when taking the point. Alternatively, players can use the exterior ladders to reach the rooftop and shoot in through the skylight, although they cannot contest the objective from this position. In Conquest, a Squad Car/Sports Sedan spawns by the road north-west of the flag, while a Police Interceptor/Muscle Car spawns outside the garage to the north-east. In Conquest Large, these vehicles are replaced with a Utility Van, spawning in the Sports Sedan's position, and an Patrol Helicopter/Rogue Chopper on the helipad above the garage. Battle pickups in the area come in the form of a SMAW in the oval office in the mansion interior, a Defrillator pack in the gym building south-east of the main house, and a Zipline gun in a truck next to the Sports Sedan and Utility Van spawn location. An RPG-7 is found on the shoreline on the tip of the peninsula, on the north side of the main island. Villa The Villa objective occupies the south-west corner of the map. The location is the site of a designer home in the same style of the Cartel Mansion. Comparatively, the building is smaller, only possessing two floors as opposed to three, and has a more modest garden. However, it does include a pool and a tennis court in the back garden, an outdoor lounge on the western exterior, a number of Yachts moored on the eastern waterfront, and an upscale garage, which serves as the area's capture zone. Inside the garage, a few metal crates serve as the only cover, leaving those in the radius vulnerable to shooters on the front drive of the mansion, inside the mansion itself, and any ground vehicles. A Go-fast Boat spawns near the Yachts in both Conquest and Conquest Large. In the ground-floor sitting room of the Villa, there is an Ammo Locker by the gun display on the north-east side of the room, and a Zipline launcher by the bay windows in the south-east corner. An FIM-92 Stinger is hidden on a shrubbery-covered enclave north-east of the flag, a little ways south of the bridge between the main island and the western island. Airport The Airport objective is in the map's north-west corner. Consisting of a tarmac runway, a large Hangar, a helipad and some outbuildings, this spot of the map is fairly isolated from the rest of the map, and is sorely lacking in cover. A wooden fence borders the complex to the south and east, partially obscuring line of sight, but can be removed without much effort using small arms or vehicles. Bumpy terrain around the west and south side also help infantry approach concealed, and the flag connects to the northern ring of islands, providing another access route. The capture zone is limited to the inside of the Hangar, which is accessible by vehicles. However, infantry can wait in ambush in the adjacent office and behind the many stacks of crates littering the storeroom interior. A Utility Van spawns on the east end of the runway once the flag is captured, and a Zipline can be found in the eastern office of the hangar. Heist In Heist on Riptide, a cell of Thieves attempting to loot valuables from the affluent Cartel Mansion trip a silent alarm, alerting a section of armed police to the area to prevent the robbery. Both sides are backed up by a contingent of armored fighting vehicles and boats to assist in the operation. The mode takes place across the full extent of the map, with the exception of some areas around the Docks and Airport, usually accessible by both teams in Conquest Large, which are now relegated to deployment protected areas and therefore off limits to the opposition. As a result, some Battle Pickups in these areas are missing, with the rest of the locations being unaffected. Neutral vehicles, in the form of a Utility Van behind the mansion, and dirt bikes at Escape points C, D and E also appear. Equipment |light = 1 Squad Car 1 Police Interceptor 1 Police Motorcycle 1 Utility Van |apc = 1 Mobile Command Post |ifv = 1 Intervention SUV |boat = 2 Inshore Patrol Vessels }} |light = 1 Sports Sedan 1 Muscle Car 1 Street Bike 1 Utility Van |apc = 1 Syndicate Crew Cab |ifv = 1 Armored SUV |boat = 2 Smuggler's Boats }} Deployments SWAT Deployment The SWAT's initial on foot spawn point is on the road north-west of the Cartel Mansion. Once the safes are cracked, their spawn is changed to that of the Criminal's Conquest Large start position, in the south-west corner of the map. The team gains access to their compliment of vehicles in the process. Thieves' Deployment The Thieves initially start on the opposite side the building to the police, by the pool in the back garden, south-east of the mansion itself. Once the Escape phase is reached, their spawn too is changed to that of the Police's Conquest Large spawn, with their vehicle loadout now becoming accessible. Break-In To begin the Heist, the Thieves' must break and enter the Mansion and locate the two safes in the western wing before busting them open with automated drills. Cracking each vault takes 30 seconds, with the Criminals having to stop the Police responders from interrupting the drilling process. Vault A Vault A is located in a second floor bedroom above Vault B. Stairways near each teams deployment means either side can reach the room first, however the police may become distracted by the battle for the second vault, which is much closer to their deployment. A grappling hook onto the real balcony can serve as an unexpected entry point against the Thief defenders holed up in the adjoining skybridge and the on-suite. Vault B Vault B is found in the corner of the ground floor lounge in the building's north-west corner. Bay windows looking out onto the front drive provide the SWAT team with easy access to this objective, whereas the criminals must fight their way through the corridor and it's single doorway south of the room, which can quickly become a bottleneck in the face of staunch opposition. A staircase in this room also serves as the Police's nearest access to the second storey. Escape Once the bags of cash are retrieved, the Criminals must make good their escape to two of five possible helicopter pickup zones scattered about the archipelago. After the first bag is away, then only one point remains active. Should the Criminals fumbled the bag at one of the extraction zones, the escape point will shift position once the helicopter relocates. Escape A Escape point A is located on the jetty directly south of the Cartel Mansion's vaults. The escape point can be reached in seconds by running across the back garden to the coast, although players will be highly vulnerable when doing so. The jetty area itself is generally lacking in solid cover, but is at a lower elevation that provides defilade from the Mansion and the areas to the north and east. Players waiting at the point may hide in the water or aboard on of the moored Yachts. Escape B Escape point B is situated on a small enclave north of the bridge connecting the central and west main islands. Players wading out to sea to reach the point can be gunned down with impunity by a well positioned opposition. It's relative proximity to the road allows vehicles to quickly reach the spot. Escape C Escape point C is on the north-west shore of the main island. Isolated from any road networks, runners will have to cross an exposed street and through several hundred meters of open grassland when beelining towards the objective. This rough terrain can confound pursuing vehicles however, buying time when waiting at the exposed extraction zone. With no substantial cover to speak of in the area, concealment will have to do, as clusters of rocks and shrubbery are dotted along the shoreline. Escape D Escape point D is on the Villa's driveway. Players must somehow ford the waterway between the two islands before reaching the point. Ambush points at this location include the planters by the front lawn, in addition to the house interior. Escape E Escape point E is located at the east end of the bridge between the central and west main islands. The second closest extraction point, this zone is easily reachable by ground vehicles and infantry alike. Bagmen have the option of a small guardpost for cover, or the underside of the bridge itself. Hotwire Hotwire on Riptide is unique in that drivers will take to the waters as often as staying on the roads. To avoid ambushes on the main tarmac service routes, taking the objective vehicles across the perimeter islands and the shallow waters of the bay can be a viable alternative, however straying into deeper patches can waterlog the vehicle and leave drivers stranded—be mindful of the buoys marking the more dangerous sections of the coast. The addition of helicopters to the map allow interception by air. There are five objective vehicles in Hotwire. The SWAT and Thieves deploy from their more distant Conquest Large spawn points. Battle Pickups are present as usual, in addition to a neutral Utility Van behind the Cartel Mansion. Objective Layouts Equipment |light = 3 Squad Cars 1 Police Interceptor 1 Police Motorcycle 1 Utility Van |helicopter = 1 Transport Helicopter }} |light = 3 Sports Sedans 1 Muscle Car 1 Street Bike |helicopter = 1 Executive Helicopter (Conquest Large) }} Blood Money Blood Money on Riptide shares its map boundaries with the Heist game mode, altering the map boundaries around the Docks and Airport. Unlike most maps, boats can be used both to ship money from the central island to one of the team's vaults, and to approach the enemy's vault from an unexpected direction, allowing for clandestine raiding. The round begins with the map's signature tropical storm event already in progress. Most Battle Pickups are available, with two by the now-restricted Dock and Airport areas not appearing in this game mode. Two neutral Utility Vans appear outside the Cartel Mansion and can serve as high-capacity escape vehicles. Equipment |light = 1 Squad Car 1 Police Interceptor 2 Police Motorcycles |apc = 1 Mobile Command Post |ifv = 1 Intervention SUV |tank = 1 Armored Rescue Vehicle |boat = 1 Inshore Patrol Vessel |helicopter = 1 Transport Helicopter }} |light = 1 Sports Sedan 1 Muscle Car 2 Street Bikes |apc = 1 Syndicate Crew Cab |ifv = 1 Armored SUV |tank = 1 Hardened Attack Truck |boat = 1 Smuggler's Boat |helicopter = 1 Executive Helicopter }} Deployments SWAT Deployment SWAT deploy from their Conquest Large spawn point in the map's north-east corner. Thieves Deployment The Thieves similarly deploy from their own Conquest Large spawn in the south-west corner. Vaults SWAT Vault The SWAT vault is located inside the house on the upper deck of the Stilt House. It's elevated position make it considerably harder to reach compared to the Criminal's vault. Thieves' Vault The Thieves vault is an Armored Truck in the garage of the Villa. Despite being easily reachable those raiding the vault will have no cover as the mostly-glass garage and surrounding area are bare of obstacles. Money Pile The Money Pile is located in the front porch of the Cartel Mansion. Blocked from sight of the main hall by a wall and set of double doors, staircases to the second floor skybridge on either side of the money trolley allow those on the landing to cover players on the lower ground by the objective. Those at the cash pile can also be shot through the glass windows lining the front of the house, allowing enemies across the road to the north to guard the trolley from afar. Rescue Rescue takes place on the south-west side of the map, around the Villa Conquest flag. The extraction team must assault the residence and rescue the hostages held captive inside. The large, glass windows that cover the house exterior make for accessible, if conspicuous, breaching points, while the open garden forming the perimeter allow for risky, all-or-nothing flanking manoeuvres. The SWAT team start on the roadway connecting to the Villa's drive north of the building. The Thieves deploy from the back garden on the south side of the building. Both hostages are found on the ground floor of the house--Hostage 1 is found in the living room and Hostage 2 is in the kitchen. Crosshair Crosshair is centralized around the Cartel Mansion, with map boundaries cutting off the north and south coastlines of the island. The VIP, a former drug baron being manhunted by former associates, starts with a SWAT protection squad on the roadway on the west side of the island, whereas the hit squad spawn at either extraction speedboat on the east shore of the island. Extraction point A is just north of the bridge between the central and east island. Extraction point B is further south, in line with the Mansion's back garden. Going through the mansion to reach the rescue zone seems like the obvious choice--there is more cover than on the highly exposed north and south flanks of the Mansion exterior, although the building is home to its own dangers in the form of bottlenecks and predictable ambush points. Gaining control of the Mansion roof is advised in order to survey the surrounding area as well as the ground-floor main hall. Team Deathmatch Team Deathmatch limits play to the central island and its Cartel Mansion, with the waterways bordering the location serving as the layer boundaries. Levolution Riptide has a weather changing Levolution that occurs automatically. Some time during a game, a large storm will blow into the map. The lighting won't be as great as before, and the sea will start to churn. Using the gunboat during the storm is not recommended.http://www.ign.com/wikis/battlefield-hardline/Riptide Gallery BFHL_Riptide_Screenshot_02.jpg BFHL_Riptide_Screenshot_03.jpg Trivia * In the game files this map is named mp_offshore. References Category:Maps of Battlefield Hardline